


γαλαξίας κύκλος

by Fox_155



Series: Heaven (NCT Hybrid AU) [9]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, First Meetings, M/M, One Shot, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28477629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_155/pseuds/Fox_155
Summary: Bonus chapter for Milky Way ~
Relationships: Kim Jungwoo/Moon Taeil
Series: Heaven (NCT Hybrid AU) [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1343050
Comments: 24
Kudos: 157





	γαλαξίας κύκλος

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Milky Way](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20800391) by [Fox_155](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_155/pseuds/Fox_155). 



> Please read Milky Way first or this won't make much sense lol  
> The title is the original ancient Greek name for Milky Way (according to Wikipedia lol)
> 
> I’m making true on my answer on CC where I said I’d write Taeil’s FIRST IMPRESSION of Jungwoo as a Bonus. It’s just a first impression. There won’t be more, please please please don’t ask, it stresses me out a lot when I have to say no to something I’d really like to have but know I won’t be able to write. >.<

Taeil used to have better organisational skills.

That was probably a lie.

He just believed that it surely had used to be better, right? How on _earth_ had he ever gotten through university like this _and_ raised a child?

“Jaehyun, did you use your ointments?” He called while hopping around the bathroom to get into his socks. Jaehyun needed constant reminders not to slack off and the bottles looked unmoved, as they did many days.

Even with the reminders, Taeil knew his eczema was nowhere near as healed as it could be and he, yet again, doubted his abilities to give a traumatised Hybrid a home. That had never changed, he had always doubted whether or not he was fit for the role of a parent even during the mysterious times when he may or may not have had better organisational skills.

Not like there was any better place to send Jaehyun or like Taeil could ever bear that because he adored him just as much as the other three, but he still kept going back to the same thought – that whether or not that was enough. Was that enough for Doyoung, was that enough for Taeyong, was that enough for Yuta, was that enough for Jaehyun, or was he missing out?

Could they be doing so much better if it hadn’t been he who had raised them ever since finding them?

Well, he certainly knew he had used to think it was child’s play to raise a Hybrid or he would have never found himself in this situation, so at least that used to be different – and Taeil would never want to go back to that time. The person he had used to be was not someone to aspire to be and that was okay because he no longer was.

Yet he was far from perfect, but unsure in which aspects he needed to improve and how exactly. There was no manual for life, no mentor for any of this, not even someone to just lean on for a couple of seconds of relaxation. Living like this, he was often choosing loneliness.

He heard Jaehyun yell something back but his ears weren’t good enough to pick it up. It didn’t matter, it had been the daily reminder his youngest got. He couldn’t oversee the skincare routine every day and he didn’t want to. He wanted Jaehyun to become independent. Whatever he did with the skills they trained was not in Taeil’s hands, he had to make his own decisions even when they weren’t ideal.

Though Taeil often worried if that was the right thing to do. It was part of revaluating himself as a guardian day after day.

There was no one to ask, not even a book to read, that was the issue. Hybrids weren’t supposed to be independent.

He checked the clock on the supply closet. 7:28 am.

“Fuck,” Taeil muttered and squeeze toothpaste onto his toothbrush, stuffing it into his mouth.

He was used to his regular rhythm. When everything was how it always was, Taeil worked the best.

Regular meant he’d start working at 8.

Today was different, though.

“Hyung, you’re late!”

Yuta had popped his head through the door’s gap.

Taeil nodded hectically.

“And you’re wearing pyjama trousers…”

“I know!” It came out jumbled due to the toothbrush in the way, but Yuta seemed understanding.

“Should I go and give him a tour first?”

 _He_.

 _He_ was the reason why Taeil was supposed to work earlier and running late.

 _He_ was the reason why Taeil had not slept well in a week, ever since he had received the name and documents, making everything suddenly seem very real.

Just like his abilities to guide four adolescent Hybrids, Taeil now questioned his ability to guide a young student, an _intern_.

It had seemed like such a brilliant idea when he had applied, but he had very serious second thoughts now, to the point that he wished he had never been so bold! What had he been thinking? This office wasn’t even a year old, he was still struggling to figure everything out himself, and now he had loaded the responsibility of teaching an intern onto his shoulders? Very smart move, Moon Taeil, very smart.

He took a deep breath.

He could do this. He had to show the intern how he worked. How smart Hybrids were, how human, how underappreciated in their society. If he could convince him, there’d be one more doctor in the workforce helping Hybrids. Taeil believed this was a chance to change the world for them, for his kids.

Since he was doing it for them, it didn’t matter how much it stressed him out. He wanted nothing but the best for them, every way in which he could contribute was important to him.

He acknowledged he was beyond whipped for his kids, but he didn’t think that was a bad thing. A loving family could make up for other shortcomings, a loving family was a safe heaven to always turn to, a loving family was the basis for something big to grow, it was the most precious treasure to Taeil.

Not only so his kids received love, but also he.

“Yes, please!”

Taeil guessed it was a good way to start that mission of changing his intern’s mind by facing him with a dog Hybrid with skills and responsibilities that no dog Hybrids ‘should’ have.

He also hoped to avoid leaving a terrible first impression, but there was a chance of that severely backfiring. Most people thought he had at least five screws loose, if not more, and his Hybrids were a big reason why.

Taeil didn’t care. It was their loss that they couldn’t see what wonderful people he called his family.

“Oki, see you!”

And off Yuta was, his feet thundering down the hallway. That was a good sign. Running meant he was excited.

_Happy._

Taeil finished his brushing and then searched for his trousers. He remembered having put them on his hook last night…

“Taeyong? Did you take my trousers?” He yelled while moving towards the living room where Taeyong was probably having breakfast. He was yelling too much, the flat was already too loud and their neighbours often complained, but it was just easier.

“Yes! I put them in the laundry. Did you want to greet your intern in used trousers?”

No, of course, Taeil would do no such outrageous thing.

Jaehyun was licking the milk from his bowl, head down, no spoon in sight. Taeil had tried to explain it, but the habit was deeply rooted in their youngest addition’s brain.

Patience. Taeil had to have patience – with himself. Finding it for Jaehyun was easy, but he was all too fast to beat himself up for falling short when things took time.

“Jaehyunnie, please sit up. Thanks, Taeyong.”

Taeil hurried from the living room and into his bedroom, where he pulled a new pair of white trousers from the almost endless supply in his closet. He hated it when they were fresh and stiff and like they were a size too small yet one up would make him look like he was still into 00s baggy pants, but it was what it was. He’d probably already have to fight a bias, better do it in clean clothes.

Since he was already running late, Taeil took a second and picked up his phone, unlocking the screen. There was a message from his mum, but he ignored it in favour of opening his e-mails, tapping the one he had pinned to the very top.

It was the one from the Hybrid medicine department of Korea University.

The one with his intern.

Taeil let his eyes fly over the application the university had sent him once more. It was just for formalities, not because Taeil had picked him.

He also doubted someone like this would have applied here, but apparently, the spots had gotten assigned if he had read the message correctly.

_Kim Jungwoo, born 19 th February 1992._

He had incredible grades and a reference from Seoul National Hybrid Hospital.

Well, Taeil also had that, more than one references even because he had returned there for his second internship rather than gone some doctor that had set up his office barely half a year ago.

He sighed deeply, feeling the pressure again. Taeil worked well with pressure, but he sometimes wondered if he’d work even better with a little less of it. No way of finding out since he had no outlet other than working even more.

The photo was a typical application photo, a front-shot with a professional smile. The photoshop was quite apparent, cheaply done, but Taeil wouldn’t judge his budget, that was absolutely inappropriate. He looked handsome and young, probably as young as a 4th-semester student was, right? Taeil had no standard to go by, he could only tell a 14-year-old Hybrid from a 13-year-old because he needed to do that far more often.

He closed the email and turned the screen off.

Well, better get to it! Once he had decided to do something, Taeil pulled through, he always did, which was why he slept too little every night and Doyoung kept nagging him about it.

“I’m leaving!” Taeil called while stepping into his shoes.

Taeyong came hurried to the door to see him off, tail thrashing how it always did, but he was smiling.

“Have a good day! I’m really excited for lunch! I’m sure it’ll be great!”

Taeil smiled back.

“I’m sure we can make it!”

The way down the flight of stairs was familiar, as was the scent of disinfectant in his office from the cleaning agents the cleaning team had used last night.

Taeil was a bit nervous. Again, he worked well with pressure, he worked well with nerves.

He knew he was doing the right thing, but every plan had a risk of failing. He hated it when his plans didn’t work and his expectations for people were too high. He wanted that everyone would see Hybrids for who they were, but especially those people that were treating them every day. The reality was that hardly anyone did and they resorted to calling _him_ crazy rather than questioning.

Taeil knew they were wrong, though, and he also remembered that his mind had been changed during his first internship. It just made sense to give his intern the same experience. The more people understood, the fewer would euthanise a Hybrid due to laziness, even if it was only this one person this year, maybe there’d be another next year, and they could then teach their own mentees one day.

 _Hopefully_.

That killing was even a practice, an industry-standard, was difficult to accept for Taeil. Not anymore, not after his discoveries and experiences.

Someone young might be open to change, someone who was as old as Taeil had been when he himself had been taught that lesson. The possibilities of what they could achieve seemed endless – though Taeil might be slightly too optimistic. It was a weakness of his, which was why he had not yet given up even after all the difficulties he had faced over the last years.

Giving up wasn’t his style anyway or he wouldn’t be here. Yes, it was stressful to expect so much from himself, he didn’t enjoy the many doubts, but he wasn’t unhappy. He lived off the many rewarding moments this life gave him and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Since no one else treated his family members how he expected them to, he had to do it himself.

He hurried to the front, expecting to find Yuta and the intern there, but silence and emptiness greeted him.

Huh?

Taeil looked around, considering where to go. Right! Room 1! Taeil had lockers in room 1, so his staff could leave their belongings safely. Surely, Yuta had taken the intern there.

He turned back around and marched towards the treatment room/office.

He had guessed right, two people were already inside, talking. Had he not been stuck in his head again, he would have heard them.

“Here you are! I was looking in the front like a fool,” Taeil greeted, an easy smile settling on his face when Yuta nodded with a big grin, excitement unchanged.

Taeil took that as a good sign.

His eyes landed on the stranger, who had turned around when he had heard Taeil arrive.

He was tall and skinny, his hair bleached to a caramel tone and parted on the right. His face was friendly but guarded, with a polite smile but nothing else. Impossible to read. He looked older than 20 despite the softness of his cheeks, not how the photo had suggested. Maybe it was the photoshop or maybe it was old.

He was handsome but cold. He might be a lot cuter if he smiled genuinely; maybe he enjoyed jokes or music?

Maybe, but it wasn’t Taeil’s place to entertain him or find him attractive other than at best objectively acknowledge it as a fact.

Nevermind it was entirely possible Taeil was secretly being judged behind the cold friendly smile. People always did that.

He was here to learn from Taeil and Taeil was here to teach him and to hopefully make the world a better place for his kids and every other Hybrid, so he didn’t let it intimidate him.

At least he had been nice to Yuta and he wasn’t showing his aversion if he had any. Taeil would make him feel welcome soon enough, would hopefully open his eyes and make him see how much more there was to the wonderful field he was studying.

Maybe he’d even have someone to hold conversations about practices and studies with, exchange thoughts, ideas, just feel like a carefree student again for a bit.

“Good morning, I’m Kim Jungwoo.”

Yes, Taeil felt like he could get past the façade and show him how much brighter the world was than he knew – even if he’d only know him for a few weeks before never seeing him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, I hope you enjoyed this ~
> 
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/Fox_155)


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